NLI’s first Business Plan Competition (BPC) was successfully completed on the 31st of October, 2009. The Business Plan Competition is an effective program to build entrepreneurship skills and kick start Small & Growing Business (SGB) development.
Objectives include:
(i) To identify entrepreneurs with high potential business ideas;
(ii) Provide selected entrepreneurs with training, mentoring and access to capital;
(iii) Act as a channel for equity and loan funds to the resulting SGBs;
(iv) Stimulate economic development through the creation of jobs and growth businesses.
Participants from the competition participated in a one-week training session facilitated by the Lagos Business School’s Enterprise Development Services (EDS). Participants were awarded a Certificate on completion of the training program.
After the training program, participants re-evaluated their Business Plans and presented their Business Proposals to a panel of judges:
1) Mr. Gbenga Oyebode – Managing Partner, Aluko and Oyebode, Nigeria
2) Ms Funke Smith – Head of Consumer Banking, First Bank Nigeria
3) Mr Ndubuisi Ihedigbo – Head of Agricultural Finance and Special Products, First Bank Nigeria
4) Mr. Dotun Sulaiman – Chairman, Accenture Nigeria
The top three (3) winners were announced at NLI’s Annual Awards Dinner. The winners were:
1st: Agugo Boniface (Briquette Nigeria)
Prize Money – $15,000
2nd: Ugbor Chidi (FREP FOODS)
Prize Money: $10,000
3rd: Ojo Opeolu Oyejide(Cecejyde Biogenerics)
Prize Money: $7,500 dollars